Barrington SD220 hopes to recoup $2.6M spent on new headquarters with sale of former building

As Barrington Community Unit School District 220 administrators get used to their roomier headquarters since moving there in May, district officials and the Board of Education could soon learn how much of the $2.6 million investment will be recouped.

Superintendent Brian Harris said the board decided two years ago that it made more economic sense to sell the then-existing 12,413 square foot building at 310 James Street in downtown Barrington and find a new facility.

Harris said the board then approved in late 2017 the purchase $1.1 million of a 20,237 square foot structure located directly across from Barrington High School, and closed on the transaction in February 2018. The district then spent more than a year on a $1.5 million renovation.

The school district is required by law to sell school real estate through a bidding process, and the board is expected to learn how much of its $2.6 million payout on the new digs will be recovered when bids are opened Oct. 29 at the district office. The minimum bid on the old building will start at $900,000.

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